Book Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Publisher: Henry Holt & Co. (BVR) 

Publication Date: June 5th, 2015 

Genre: Fantasy 

Pages: 358 pages

Summary: The Kingdom of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a darkness with strange monsters. Alina Starkov is an orphan who has been living in a relatively safe environment with her best friend, Mal. Together they discover that there’s more to Alina than meets the eye. After discovering Alina’s mysterious ability they travel to the royal court. Here she is trained with The Grisha and nothing is as it seems. The Grisha, a magical elite possess special powers and are led by the mysterious Darkling. As the Shadow Fold grows, an entire kingdom depends on Alina’s untamed power. Will she be able to conquer her fears and control her power? This is the first installment in Bardugo’s fantastic Grisha Trilogy.

Review:

This epic fantasy adventurous book is not to be missed! If you haven’t read this series make sure you get your hands on Shadow and Bones as soon as possible. This book is set in a wonderful fantasy kingdom that will leave you wanting more.

Shadow and Bone is an interesting and entertaining read which is uniquely different to other books in this genre. Bardugo writes her characters in a fascinating way that leaves you guessing and questioning her motives. The central characters in this book are flawed but experience personal growth in remarkable ways. By the end of this book our main character is stronger, more fierce, and determined to do the right thing no matter what the cost. This book allows the reader to connect with Alina on many personal levels. Her journey is an important one that people of all ages can face during their life time. The important aspect that can be learned from this book is to learn how to believe in and love yourself. The feelings of dealing with self-blame and letting go of your fear is a main theme in this book.

The world building and the plot in this book are very well thought out and written. Although, at times it is confusing separating the different categories of Grisha. The plot twists are excellently crafted into the story without giving away any clues. This story has a medium paced plot and it naturally develops on its own effectively.

Overall, Shadow and Bone is worth reading because of the characters and its interesting plot. The relationships between Alina, Mal, the Grisha and the Darkling are the strongest aspects of the novel.

Rating: 4 out 5 Stars

Reviewer: @fzkhann